The present disclosure relates in general to a multipurpose exercise device, and more particularly, to a multipurpose exercise device that can be used for an efficient and effective abdominal muscle workout.
A variety of exercises employing rotational movement of the torso are known for strengthening the oblique abdominal muscles. One of the most common and simplest exercises is the torso or waist twist. This exercise is performed upright with feet planted firmly on the ground, while the exerciser alternately contracts and relaxes the oblique muscles to twist the upper torso rotationally clockwise and counterclockwise. To increase the difficulty of the exercise, the exerciser may add mass to his/her upper torso, for example, by holding a weightlifting bar on his/her shoulders with arms outstretched along the bar, or by holding an exercise ball with arms outstretched. The addition of mass has the effect of increasing the rotational inertia of the exerciser, requiring more work to both start and stop the rotation. However, the momentum inherent in this exercise also prevents the exerciser from fully working the oblique muscles throughout the whole range of rotational motion, instead causing these muscles to primarily contract in short bursts at the start and stop of each motion while allowing the muscles to rest during the intermediate range of motion.
In order to increase the work required throughout the rotational movement, exercise machines offering a continuous resistance have been used. For example, the exerciser may use a standard cable cross-over machine to provide weighted resistance throughout the motion by holding onto the cables. Additionally, other exercise machines exist where the exerciser holds his/her torso stationary and is forced to use the oblique muscles to rotate the lower body, for example, on a rotatable chair or surface connected to a weight or other resistance. However, such exercise machines often employ a number of complicated working parts requiring costly materials and that furthermore are prone to failure, thus necessitating routine maintenance. Additional drawbacks include the non-portability of many exercise machines, the large amount of floor space required for their operation, the sometimes unattractive appearance of their multiple linked components, and the limited functionality of some of these devices for working only a few isolated abdominal muscles.